2023-05-08 00:00:18
- Cell therapy is used to treat other immune-related diseases, such as leukemia and some types of cancer.
- Currently it is estimated that there are at least 9 million Mexicans with diabetes.
- The IMSS serves 70% of the total population of Mexico.
Specialist researchers belonging to the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) work on the isolation and culture of mesenchymal stem cells. The purpose is to contribute to the cell therapy to help control damage to the pancreas in people with type 2 diabetes mellitusaffectation that is characterized by the increase of glucose in the blood.
Dr. Clara Ortega Camarillo, Associate Researcher D at the Medical Research Unit in Biochemistry of the Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional (CMN) Siglo XXI, highlighted that this type of therapy can help control the damage that occurs in patients diagnosed with with diabetes mellitus.
What is the cell therapy project about?
He stressed that by controlling glucose, complications such as damage to the kidneys, eyesight and extremities are delayed, such as the so-called diabetic foot. If this stops, the quality of life increases and so does the life of the patients. In addition to the fact that health expenses are greatly reduced.
The IMSS specialist indicated that there is a prevalence of more than 12 percent of diabetes in the population and considering that the Institute serves more than 70 percent of Mexicans, this research work represents an important tool for the benefit of this sector.
He added that this type of therapy is used in the treatment of other immune-related diseases, such as leukemia and some types of cancer.
He explained that progenitor cells are obtained from the fatty tissue of laboratory animals, which is broken into small parts and washed with specific solutions, then taken to a culture room to be placed in a special box, where the cells will stick.
“The next day we are going to do a wash to remove all the tissue that did not adhere and, therefore, is not part of these cells. Once it is achieved, we will keep it for several days until they grow and multiply”.
Dr. Ortega Camarillo explained that this study is highly relevant due to the constant increase in the diabetes mellituscoupled with the fact that the rates of overweight and obesity have also increased significantly.
“This increases public health expenses and, above all, decreases the quality of life of the diabetic patient, since diabetes is not a death sentence per se, it is a disease that is kept under control by following medical indications to maintain levels glucose levels close to normal.
Results in animal models
For his part, the head of the Medical Research Unit in Biochemistry of the Hospital de Especialidades del CMN Siglo XXI, Dr. Miguel Cruz López, Head D, commented that Dr. Clara Ortega has dedicated herself to the study of models in cell cultures and in animals in order to understand what the effect is when glucose rises in the body.
He affirmed that the greatest repercussion that has been seen from this work is that if glucose is increased in a cell culture, they die in a situation that cannot be counteracted.
“And the same happens with us, the patient with type 2 diabetes at diagnosis already has more than 50 percent of the pancreas destroyed.”
Cruz López said that the patient must first understand the importance of balanced and natural nutritional requirements. Avoid processed foods and sugary drinks that have fructose, which leads to lipid formation, fatty liver, and accumulation of fatty tissue.
He explained that people must maintain a commitment to healthy eating, for this they have the Plate of Good Eating and the advice of IMSS nutritionists, among other specialists.
He added that it is important to integrate physical activity into the lifestyle, an essential requirement to control body weight, proper metabolism and avoid or delay the onset of chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
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